A well-known problem area affecting semiconductor reliability is thermal reliability. Consequently, thermal analysis is an important part of testing semiconductor devices. In particular, measurements of cyclic thermal loading on interconnect behavior, such as thermal fatigue and Joule heating that affect the known phenomena of electro-migration and stress migration of interconnects, are necessary to assess reliability of a semiconductor circuit. Conventional techniques for assessing the reliability of a semiconductor circuit include assembling the circuit in a ceramic or similar package, heating the package using external heating sources such as by placing the package in a temperature controlled chamber, applying heat to the package, while applying a direct current (DC) signal to the circuit and monitoring changes in the signal as the circuit is heated. For example, heat induced stress migration effects on a circuit may be studied by exposing the circuit to isothermal heating conditions and measuring the resistance change of the circuit. However, conventional thermal fatigue testing of a semiconductor circuit may become excessively time consuming due to the amount of time required to heat the circuit using external sources. For example, it may be difficult to ramp temperatures up and down as quickly as would be commonly experienced by a semiconductor device being used in the field.
It is to be understood that the following detailed description is exemplary and explanatory only and is not to be viewed as being restrictive of the present, as claimed. These and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after a review of the following description of the preferred embodiments and the appended claims.